Here's To Their Years of Love
by Senna2
Summary: Lily Evans and Dorcas Meadowes. Two best friends who are determined to make their seventh year at Hogwarts their best yet. But how on earth will they be able to if James Potter and Sirius Black keep mucking it up for them?
1. A Rocky Beginning

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DISCLAIMER: All of the characters belong to J.K. Rowling. No money is being made off of this. 

A/N: Hi all! This is an L/J fic that is going to TRY very hard to stay to canon with the story line of Lily and the Marauders in the fifth book. ***Readers gasp in surprise. Senna? In cannon? You must be joking**!* Shocking, I know, but I'm going to try, so bear with me, I've already had to redo this chapter three times in order to do so. Italics are Lily's thoughts. 

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Here's To Their Years of Love

Chapter One: A Rocky Beginning

A girl with flaming red hair and brilliant emerald eyes stood with her parents and sister on Platform Nine at King's Cross Station on the first day of September. The air was crisp and carried the scent of the fast-approaching autumn, and there had never been a bluer sky. Lily Evans believed that there could not be a more perfect day to set off on her journey to her seventh and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was determined to make this the best year she had yet spent at school, and was eager for it to begin. 

"Its ten minutes to eleven, Lily," her mother said, glancing from the clock on the wall. "You'd better start off now. Good-bye, darling; I know that you'll study hard and do just admirably." 

"And be sure to have some fun while you're at it," her father added sternly. 

Lily giggled as her mother gave her husband a reproachful look, and gave both of her parents a kiss good-bye. She braced herself and turned to her older sister, Petunia, who was shooting dark, furtive glances at people who were carrying owls and trunks like Lily's. Personally, she would have rather liked to simply walk through the barrier onto Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters without bidding farewell to her sister, but for her parents sake, Lily attempted to act civilly towards the sister that treated her as if she were a mold that was contaminating her otherwise perfect life. And the reason for that was because Petunia was a squib, which meant that she was a witch with no magical ability. She had learned of this when Lily received her Hogwarts letter on her eleventh birthday. Before the letter, the girls had been the best of friends. Of course, they had had sisterly squabbles, but they always made up in the end. However, after the letter, Petunia had been hurt that she too did not posses magical talents and she became jealous of her younger sister, hating her for her abilities.

"Good-bye, Petunia, have a lovely time at college. Will you be coming home for Christmas?" 

Petunia sneered at her, which did nothing to compliment her features. With stringy blonde hair, blue eyes, a neck like a giraffe and a bony face like a horse, Petunia was neither ugly nor gorgeous, but simply plain. 

"Not if you're there!"

Lily masked the stinging pain of the remark with a smirk. _Two can play that game, dear old sis_. 

"My, my, Petty, if that's the best you can come up with-"

"Girls! Stop that nonsense right now! Petunia, your sister is leaving for school! Don't you have anything nice to say to her?" demanded Mrs. Evans. 

It hurt to see her daughters bickering constantly, especially when they had been close enough to be joined at the hip just seven years before. Petunia rolled her eyes. 

"Have a nice time at that frea-that school of yours," she spat. "I'm going to wait in the car." 

Lily shrugged off her feelings of hurt as she watched her sister leave and then turned back to her parents. 

"Bye, Mum, bye Daddy, I'll see you at Christmas!" 

With one last hug, she sped off with her trolley through the barrier to Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters. Upon passing through, Lily promptly collided with two people, and the three of them and the cart were knocked to the ground. The two that she had collided with lay groaning on the ground while Lily sprang up, embarrassed. 

"Are you two all right? I'm so sorry, I didn't-" But Lily stopped her apologies when she saw the faces of who she had run into. Her expression changed from a look of worry to one of disgust as James Potter and Sirius Black picked themselves up off the ground. "Oh its just you, Potter. And Black as well." 

Had any other girl besides Lily have run into the two boys, she would be mouthing wordlessly, hyperventilating, gazing upon them with a dreamy expression upon her face, or all three. James was tall, lean, and muscular from being Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. He was also Captain. They boy had hazel eyes and, in Lily's opinion, an unruly black mop that people mistook for hair on his head. Sirius was built similarly to James, yet he was more muscular, for he was a Beater on the Team. He had dark, dancing brown eyes and dark brown hair which was forever falling into his eyes. That particular quality, along with his humorous antics and to-die-for looks sent girls into a tizzy whenever they saw him. James had much of the same affect upon the opposite sex. Lily found this all to be quite revolting; she could not for the life of her understand why her fellow females seemed to turn into mindless, hormone-driven animals with one look from the two, in her eyes, completely arrogant, young men. 

"Nice to see you too, Evans," said James smoothly, running a hand through his untamable black hair. "But what was the big idea of trampling us with your trolley? Were you just overcome with eagerness to see me after spending three whole months apart?" 

Lily fought the urge to slap the boy and set him straight. Instead, she replied coolly. 

"Potter, do you know why I enjoy the holidays so very much? Because I don't have to see you! And its your own fault that we collided, who on earth is stupid enough to stand right in front of the barrier?" 

James was about to reply when someone screamed Lily's name. All three seventh years turned to the direction of the sound to find her best friend, Dorcas Meadowes rushing towards them. 

"Lils! How've you been? God it's good to see you again!" Dorcas exclaimed when she reached the trio. 

She was a tall, thin girl with sleek black hair that hung to her shoulders and shimmering sapphire eyes. Eyes that, when fell upon James and Sirius, narrowed. Though she had the body and disposition of a model, Dorcas was nothing of the sort. She lived with her father and five brothers, which had turned her into a complete tomboy. And true to her personality, the girl was decked in a tank top, ripped jeans, and an old Pride of Portree Quidditch cap. Her mother had died when she had been five years old, so Dorcas had no female influences except for Lily. The two had met on their first journey to Hogwarts, where the redhead had been completely terrified because she had not one inkling of how to get onto the platform. Dorcas and her family, who were all magical, had helped Lily and had answered her parents' questions about the wizarding world. The girls spent the train ride in each other's company, and by the time they reached Hogwarts they felt as if they had known each other for years. Lily and Dorcas complemented each other with their differences, but they shared common interests, such as a love of Quidditch and Pumpkin Pasties and a contempt for the Marauders, otherwise known as James, Sirius, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. However, the girls did not mind Remus so much as the other three. In fact, they liked him quite a bit and were friendly with him.

"What are you two doing here?" she spat. 

"For your information, Meadowes, we are standing upon the platform from which we board a little locomotive called the Hogwarts Express. This transports us to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which you and Evans and Prongs and I happen to attend," said Sirius as if he were explaining what a post office was to a young child. "We're here because we need to board the train, and were about to do so before Evans came along and knocked us flat onto the ground." 

Dorcas looked extremely pleased when she heard this news. 

"You did that, Lils?" 

"Guilty."

"That's my girl," she said proudly, and then, turning to James and Sirius, "Why are you still here if you want to board the train?" 

"Evans hasn't apologized yet," said James, his hazel eyes resting upon the girl. 

"I don't plan on doing so either." 

"No? Well then you could make it up to me by going out with me, what do you say to that?" James offered charmingly. "Although I'm not sure how that would make it up to Sirius, but oh well." 

_He makes it seem as if I'm supposed to be completely floored that he's asking me to date him_! Lily would have none of that. Hot anger bubbled up inside of her at the thought that he assumed that she was just another girl that would answer to his beck and call. Just another heart to toy with. Dorcas mirrored her feelings and was about to give James a piece of her mind, but Lily told her 'no' with a glance. Instead, she glared angrily at him and replied. 

"Potter, you are definately the most insufferable prick I've ever met! The only way anyone would ever catch me on a date with you is if it was a matter of life or death. Let's go, Dora." 

With that, the two girls turned on their heels and boarded the Hogwarts Express, leaving a very stunned James and a laughing Sirius in their wake.

"That jerk!" Lily growled as she slammed the door to their compartment a few minutes later. "He just can't seem to get it past his incredibly thick skull that I will never, EVER go out with him." 

"And Black, explaining the Platform and Hogwarts to me!" Dorcas agreed viciously as the train began to move. 

"Its good to hear that some things never change," an amused voice from behind remarked. 

The two girls whirled around and smiled when they saw the person the voice belonged to. 

"Remus!" Lily exclaimed, laughing. 

She and Dorcas hugged the tall and lanky young man with soulful gray eyes and light brown hair that was streaked with silver due to his lycanthropy. He was handsome, no doubt, in a mysterious sort of way. Many a girl spent her time wondering why he never dated. Of course there had been offers, but Remus always politely declined. Lily and Dorcas were a bit puzzled by this as well, but did not brood upon it. The girls were aware of the fact that Remus transformed into a werewolf during the full moons; they had discovered his secret in their second year of Hogwarts. He had been taught many a small healing spell to repair minor wounds from Dorcas, who had been taught by a brother who worked as a Healer at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies. Lily had helped him think up believable excuses for his absences and aided him in catching up with schoolwork. 

"What were you two up to over the summer?" asked Remus as the trio broke apart. 

"I was completely bored out of my skull because I was home alone all day long," Dorcas groaned, but then she perked up suddenly and added, "but I had plenty of time to think of pranks and such." 

The last of her brothers had graduated from Hogwarts the year before, and most were out of the house with jobs of their own.

"They picked me for Head Girl!" Lily announced happily. 

The owl had come in the middle of July along with her Hogwarts letter early in the morning and had awoken her. After reading it, she had shrieked at the top of her lungs and bounded into her parent's room to deliver the news. Once they had understood why their daughter had woken them at such an ungodly hour, Mr. and Mrs. Evans had been ecstatic and proud. 

"No way!" Dorcas said, her jaw dropping. 

"Congratulations, Lils," said Remus. 

"That's so wicked! We could get away with murder now!" Dorcas exclaimed. 

"Well, the funny thing is, Dora, I'm supposed to enforce the rules, not break them. That's kind of what being Head Girl is about," Lily remarked sarcastically. 

"Way to rain on my parade, Lils. Way to just pour," her friend pouted in a mock-hurt fashion. 

"I'm sure we'll find another way to bend the rules," said Lily smiling. "Are you Head Boy, Remus?" 

"No, thank Merlin," Remus replied. "Being prefect was a great honor and all, but with those duties on top of studying andyou know, was exhausting. But I do know who is." 

His eyes danced mischievously and a slow smile spread across his face. 

"Who? Come on, tell me!" Lily begged. 

A loud voice with a metallic edge to it, as though it was being projected through a speakerphone, rang throughout the train. 

"Would the Head Boy and Girl please come to the Head Compartment at the front of the train? Would the Head Boy and Girl please come to the Head Compartment at the front of the train. Thank you." 

"I think I'll let you find out for yourself," Remus replied, wearing the trademark Marauder grin upon his face. 

Lily shot him a quizzical look but pressed him no further and said good bye to her two friends. She trekked through the train compartments until she came to a door made of some sort of dark wood with the letters HC engraved in gold upon it. _Being Head Girl must entitle you to extra perks. Yup, this year is going to be sweet_. She smiled to herself as she opened the door. However, when Lily saw who was standing inside of the compartment waiting for her, she shut the door again hurriedly. She let out a groan of despair and disbelief and pressed the heels of her hands against her emerald green eyes. _You have GOT to be kidding me_. 


	2. Unfortunate Circumstances

**Chapter 2: Unfortunate Circumstances**

James Potter turned away from the note he was reading when he heard the door of the Head Compartment open. He looked up to smile charmingly at his fellow Head Girl, but before he could see her the door slammed shut. James sighed. Only one girl would ever do that to him. Two if one was counting Meadowes, but he knew it was not her who was on the other side. Although his stomach was somersaulting with glee as he opened the door, James knew that this would be a very trying year. 

"Are you coming in, Evans?" he asked dryly, trying hard not to laugh at the look of horror on her face. 

Lily could not believe what she was seeing. James Potter was Head boy. James Potter, who never paid attention in class, who had (along with Black) received more detentions than anyone who had ever previously attended Hogwarts, who, above all, she could not stand, was Head Boy. Lily let out a funny moan and entered the compartment. She stood very still for a few moments trying to comprehend the situation. There was a silence thick enough to be cut with a knife as the two Heads faced each other, one smirking and one gaping. 

"Oh, God, why, why, why," Lily groaned. "How on EARTH did you become Head Boy?" 

James grinned cockily. 

"No idea. Dumbledore must have his reasons, though. Maybe he thinks that we need to spend more time together."

He raised an eyebrow at her, but immediately lowered it after seeing a look that said don't-even-think-about-it on her face. 

"Kill me now," she cried. "Smote me with a thunderbolt, or maybe even a flying ice-cream truck, hell, smote me any way you'd like, just do it quickly!" 

"Now, really, Evans, don't you think you're being a tad over-dramatic? You may learn to like me if you gave me a chance," he said.

"I'm still waiting for that lightening bolt!" Lily yelled as her eyes rose expectantly towards the heavens. 

James rolled his eyes and thrust the letter into her hands. 

"Read that. It outlines our duties and says that we have to meet with Dumbledore occasionally to discuss stuff." 

Lily's emerald green eyes scanned the parchment furiously. She soon learned that not only would she have to patrol hallways and supervise the prefects with Potter, she would also be required to attend meetings to discuss plans for the school with the prefects, as well as meetings with Dumbledore. She threw down the note and faced James with her hands on her hips. 

"Do not mess this up for me, Potter. I'm warning you now. Do not mess this up for me!" 

She jabbed her finger at his chest and glowered over him. Her severity caused the poor boy to be a bit frightened, and he nodded meekly. 

"Your wish is my command, Evans." 

~*~*~*~

Sirius hummed a random tune as he made his way through the train's sitting areas. Peter was following clumsily, practically running to keep up with his friend's long strides. He watched half-jealously and half-amazedly as Sirius received several greetings from people he obviously did not know, and how herd after herd of girls whispered in a sort of feverish excitement or burst into fits of giggles as they passed. 

"Hello, Sirius," a Hufflepuff in their year said seductively, wrapping an arm around his neck. "Did you miss me over the summer?" 

He flashed an equally seductive smile at her, and replied

"You have no idea, Angela." 

The girl's face contorted with rage and she quickly removed her arm from his neck. 

"My name is AMANDA, you cheating piece of scum!" she shrieked angrily. 

The girl burst into tears and ran away, leaving Sirius red in the face and grinning embarrassedly. 

"At least that's over. I can't stand her voice," he said, shuddering as he entered the last compartment. 

Here he found Remus laughing and Dorcas covered in soot with pieces of some sort of white, smoldering paper falling softly around her or in her hair like snow. 

"Oh put a cork in it, Lupin, if it had been you to put the last card on, you'd be in my state," she snapped, but not like the way she snapped at Sirius. 

This was more of a friendly snapping. Remus managed to stifle his laughter. 

"What did you do, blow up your homework?" asked Sirius. 

Dorcas finally took notice of him and Peter, and blushed ever so slightly. 

"I'm not that thick," she said, muttering a charm to remove the grime. "It was Exploding Snap."

"Where's James?" Peter questioned scanning the room jerkily. 

"In the Head Compartment with Lily," Remus answered, his eyes twinkling. 

Sirius guffawed until his stomach hurt at the irony of the situation. 

"We'll have to carry him out in a body bag if they're to stay together for the whole trip," he exclaimed. 

"I wouldn't be surprised if you had to," said Dorcas as she gathered her things. "See you at the castle, Remus." 

"Why are you leaving?" asked Sirius. 

"Do I really have to answer that?" 

"What, you can't stand two minutes in the same room as me?"

"I can. I just choose not to."

"You're being incredibly childish."

Dorcas's sapphire eyes flashed angrily at him. How dare he call her immature? 

"You're not exactly Mr. Maturity yourself, Black. Why are you making this into such a big deal? What's it to you if I stay or go? It certainly never mattered before!" 

ÒEr,Ó said Remus, glancing at Peter. ÒDÕyou reckon we ought to leave them to it?Ó 

The smaller boy nodded fervently, and the boys left the compartment unnoticed. However, even they did not notice the faint click that sounded after they shut the door behind them. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sirius demanded angrily. 

"Bloody hell, Black, do you really want to spend the entire train ride fighting with me?" she exclaimed angrily as she pushed past him to open the door. 

Dorcas pushed the door, but it remained shut. She tried once again and then tried the Alohomora Charm, but her efforts were in vain. She paled slightly and then turned to the boy, still glaring at her. 

"It's locked." 

"Locked? What do you mean itÕs locked?" 

"Well, you see, Black, this here is a door. Normally, doors open and close to allow admittance into rooms. Most unfortunately in this case, the door remains closed when I attempt to open it. This means that the door is locked!" 

Dorcas used the same patronizing and sardonic tone that Sirius had used earlier that day on the platform. 

"Thank you, Meadowes, that was most enlightening. Now while you were speaking so eloquently, did it ever occur to you to use Alohomora?" 

"I'm not stupid, Black." 

"Could have fooled me!" 

Dorcas let out a roar of frustration. She could not believe that she was locked in a train compartment with Sirius Black. How could this have happened? Who would do this to her? 

"You're right. It is locked," said Sirius as he pocketed his wand. "I bet it was Snivellus. Evil git! What do you think, Moony?" Sirius looked around the compartment. ÒOh, bloody hell! No way!Ó 

He pounded his fist on the door. A second later, he heard his friend trying to slide it open, but failed. 

ÒPadfoot?Ó called RemusÕ voice. ÒPadfoot itÕs locked.Ó 

ÒI KNOW that!Ó said Sirius, frustrated. ÒDid you lock me in here with Meadowes?Ó 

ÒNo!Ó came the honest reply from across the wooden barricade. ÒIÕm going to try to figure out how to get you two out of there though!Ó 

Dorcas elbowed Sirius out of the way to talk. 

ÒToo right you are!Ó she called. ÒAnd please, please, PLEASE hurry! I canÕt stand the entire train ride with Black!Ó 

ÒYea, same goes for me, Moony! Besides, IÕm supposed to meet Andrea Drominedsky at one today! I CANÕT miss that!Ó Sirius urged, but then he turned, grinning at Dorcas. ÒUnless of course, _youÕd_ like to have her spot. I think I could manage to-Ò 

ÒLUPIN! HURRY!Ó Dorcas yelled. 

~*~*~*~

Lily jumped at the sound of knocking on the door after spending the past quarter of an hour in an uncomfortable silence with James. She was hoping with all her heart that it would be Dorcas, although Lily would have been pleased to see just about anyone at this point, even Severus Snape. She hastily opened the door only to find the plump little witch who pushed the food trolley. 

"Anything to eat, dear?" 

"Yes please," Lily said as she paid for a large amount of Pumpkin Pasties. 

"What about your friend? Do you want to wake him up and ask?" 

Lily turned to find James fast asleep, head lolling up and down. _I could always say that he doesn't want anything and let him spend the train ride hungry_, she contemplated, but then shook her head. _No. That would be stooping to his level_. Lily sighed and walked over to the sleeping boy. She leaned in close so that her mouth was right by his ear. Lily took a deep breath, and then-

"POTTER! WAKE UP NOW!" 

James awoke with a start and grabbed the girl's wrist. He looked wildly around the room and then spotted Lily, doubled over with laughter beside him. 

"Christ, Evans! What do you think you're playing at? I think my eardrum has exploded!" James groaned, hitting his ear. 

"I woke you up because she thought you might want a bit of food. And let go of my wrist. Now," said Lily as she composed herself. 

James dropped her wrist reluctantly and sped over to the food cart. After selling him a generous amount of snacks, the witch left the compartment. The two ate in silence for a while, and the only sound heard was the zipping about of the golden Snitch that James had stolen in fifth year. He was currently letting it go and then suddenly catching it. 

"So," he ventured after a while, apparently bored with the Snitch. "Did you have a nice holiday?" 

Lily, about to take a bite of a pasty, was so surprised that she missed her mouth and ended up with an eyeful o f pasty. James raised an eyebrow at her as she wiped her eye with the back of her sleeve. 

"What has gotten into you, Potter?" she asked, dazed. 

James was taken aback. 

"What do you mean? Is inquiring about your holidays a crime now?" 

"I find it a tad odd that you've taken such an interest in my holidays, seeing as the only reason you've bothered to talk to me these past five years is to ask me out." 

"I just figured that since we're going to be working together this year, we might as well get to know each other," said James as he held out a dark red Every Flavor Bean. "Want one?" 

"What flavor is it?" Lily asked suspiciously. "How do I know its not blood or brick?"

James rubbed his eyes in exasperation. 

"Fine, I'll eat half of it and you eat half of it. That way, if it's something disgusting, I'll get punished as well. That'd please you, wouldn't it?" 

Now it was Lily's turn to be startled, startled by the faint hint of coldness in his tone. Did he really think that she was that terrible? 

"Fine," she answered, popping half of the bean into her mouth and chewing for a few seconds. 

"Mmm," said James. "I think its cherry." 

Lily's eyes grew wide in horror and she spit the bean into her hand, but it was too late. Hives were already appearing across her face, arms, and hands. She screamed in fury, causing James to nearly jump out of his skin. 

"POTTER YOU IMBECILE!" she roared. "I'm ALLERGIC to cherries!" 

"Well how was I supposed to know it was cherry flavored?" James exclaimed angrily, but it was too late. 

Lily had already stormed out of the compartment, head in her hands. 


End file.
